Juvenile sentenced as adult in armed Willoughby robbery

Sixteen-year-old Monte Smedley of Cleveland is sentenced May 14 to six years in adult prison for an armed robbery in Willoughby last year. At left is Assistant Lake County Public Defender Michael Gabelman.
Tracey Read — The News-Herald

Lake County Common Pleas Judge Richard L. Collins Jr. then immediately adopted the joint sentencing recommendation of six years by Assistant County Prosecutor Crystal Welsh and Assistant County Public Defender Michael Gabelman.

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“The defendant was picked up by (a co-defendant) and asked if he wanted to ‘hit a lick.’ They both drove into Lake County and agreed to rob Circle K,” Welsh said.

A semi-automatic handgun was pointed at a male clerk and pushed into the back of a female clerk.

“The defendant said the (male) clerk was moving too slow, so he grabbed the money from him,” Welsh added.

“Mr. Smedley got involved with a crowd of people that led him to commit the crime,” Gabelman said. “He takes full responsibility, though. He let his mother and himself down. He does want to move forward in life and become a valuable member of society.”

Smedley said he hopes to finish high school and start college in prison.

He turned around to apologize to the victims face-to-face, but was told they refused to attend the hearing.

Roebuck also is suspected of robbing the Willowick Rite Aid at gunpoint a short time before the Circle K incident.

According to Willowick police, two males entered the Lake Shore Boulevard Rite Aid with semi-automatic handguns and demanded money from the clerk. Upon leaving, they snatched a purse from a woman who was entering the store.

Wickliffe police located a gray 2016 Jeep Cherokee SUV traveling west on Interstate 90 about 9:05 p.m., which matched a similar description to the vehicle used in the Rite Aid robbery.

Officers from Wickliffe attempted to stop the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Cleveland, but called off the attempt after the SUV traveled recklessly at a high rate of speed.

Around 10:30 that night, Cleveland police found the stolen Jeep at the 14021 St. Clair Ave. Marathon gas station. Three suspects ran from the SUV, but officers were able to apprehend one of them.

Willoughby and Willowick detectives then asked for help from the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force in apprehending the other suspects.